Social causation and interpretive processes: Herbert Blumer's theory of industrialization and social change

Abstract

In the course of analyzing "macro" level social phenomena, one of which is industralization, Herbert Blumer (1900-1987) developed his core ideas for a recursive model of social organization which accentuates the interdependence of individual and collective action with social structure. His discussion of industrialization as an agent of social change, which is the topic for our essay, gives ample evidence of the relevance of symbolic interaction to handling large-scale and complex social phenomena. In ex? ploring that relevance, we call attention to the essential features of social life he depicts and note that they, in turn, give form to generic social processes of individual and collective action. These characteristics of social reality inform his view of the relation between social action and social or? ganization, an area of relevance that transcends industrialization. Given that relevance, industrialization may be viewed as a case study used by Blumer to develop a perspective of broad theoretical significance. In par? ticular, we will focus on processes of adjustment, since that concept lies at the heart of his analysis. Blumer's interest in industrialization dated from the early 1940's, and was well nourished by his work as labor arbitrator for both the United Packinghouse Workers and for U.S. Steel. From the early 1940's to late 1950's, he published a half dozen or so articles and chapters on issues of industrial relations, interest group tensions, and power relations. In 1958 59, he was appointed to the position of Deputy Director of the Latin American Center for Research in the Social Science for UNESCO, and ""Herbert Blumer. Industrialization as an Agent of Social Change: A Critical Analysis. Edited with an Introduction by David R. Maines and Thomas J. Morrione, New York: Aldine de Gruyter, 1990.